


Fracture

by NanixErka



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Found Family, Gen, Irondad, Irondad & Spiderson, Mid-Canon, Platonic Relationships, Spy thriller, To a point, background pepperony, spiderson, winter soldier tony
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2019-10-21 06:23:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17637452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanixErka/pseuds/NanixErka
Summary: Just as things come together, they fall apart - that's just how Peter Parker's life has always been.The ever famous "Parker Luck"He didn't think fate would decide to test it like this((Winter Solider Tony AU, Beta-Read by Tumblr User littlescarletstar ))





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And so begins another large, multi chapter fic. Enjoy!

Peter came into consciousness with a gasp, nearly shouting as he flailed slightly and sat himself up. 

Dark, everything was dark. He pulled the ski mask off with one hand and started trying to look around, allowing his enhanced eyes to adjust to the darkness. As he scanned the plain, concrete room he was in, his eyes fell onto a figure in the opposite corner.

The boy scrambled to his feet, pressing himself against the wall and breathing heavily- frantically- staring at the figure. A man, it was a man. 

The man was sitting on the floor, a mask covering the lower part of his face. He had dark, short hair and even darker eyes that weren’t even looking at him. Peter was worried that he was dead before he heard his heartbeat with his sensitive ears. The heartbeat was a little … off, but Peter assumed he wasn’t in danger - his spider sense wasn’t going off, after all. He took a moment to feel around his outfit to see if he still had his web shooters (he did) and his phone (he did not) before carding a hand through his hair and cringing slightly as his fingers brushed over what had to have been a bruise. Had he been hit in the head? He must have been.

What the hell had even happened?

Two months. He’d been doing this “Spider-Man” thing for two months now. He had... been on patrol, yeah. It was admittedly pretty late, but it was also a Saturday and May was out with her friends for the weekend (She’d desperately needed the break anyway. After the move from the townhouse to the apartment she’d been in such a slump. A weekend at the Bethlehem casino was a perfect getaway for her) and he could take care of himself for a couple of days. I mean, it wasn’t like mild-mannered Peter Benjamin Parker ever got up to anything, right? 

Tonight was an… exception… to that rule. 

He’d come across what had looked like a pretty low-grade arms deal. Just a bunch of tasers and guns. It hadn’t been the first time he’d seen something like that in Queens, and he wasn’t about to let that shit get into his neighborhood. No way. 

But then, things went south. 

That damned Parker Luck(™).

At some point he was knocked out in the fight, and was transported here. Though, where “here” was located remained a mystery. 

“How long was I out?” he quietly muttered, slightly peeved he’d lost his phone as he fiddled around with his web shooters, checking to make sure they weren’t broken.

“Two hours.” 

The boy nearly jumped to the wall and looked up at the man across the room. 

“You were brought in unconscious two hours ago. It’s 2:45 AM.” 

“.. How do you know that? Watch?” Peter asked nervously. The man looked over at him. His eyes were almost vacant, sending a shiver down the boy’s spine- still not setting off his spider sense, though. 

“... Yeah,” the man answered, standing up.

“.. Okay.. How long have _you_ been here?” Peter asked, looking over at the door, and then above them, where a light just barely flickered. It left the room so dark that it was only thanks to his enhanced senses he could see the man close to clearly. 

“About an hour longer than you. This is the AIM facility in the Bronx.” 

“Th-the Bronx?!” Peter exclaimed. “But-why??” 

“.. You’re enhanced, aren’t you?” 

Peter bristled slightly. “Wha- No I-” 

“It is pitch black in here and you are making eye contact with me.” the man interrupted. “You were somewhere you weren’t supposed to be. Snatched up and bought here.” 

“... Okay, fine. Does that mean you’re “enhanced” too?” 

The man didn’t respond. Peter just huffed.

“Okay fine, whatever. How do we get out?” Peter went over to the steel door and put his ear against it, straining to use his enhanced hearing to figure out if anyone was in front of it. 

He didn’t answer again. Peter resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Selective replies? Great. 

He knocked on the door. The man stared at him. 

“... Don’t tell me you were seriously expecting an answer,” the man stated.

“N-no! Of course not!” Peter almost shouted. “I was… seeing how thick it was.” 

The man blinked. “..And?” 

“Seems about .. I wanna say two inches thick? Really not that bad, one solid kick might open it,” the boy reasoned. He didn’t want to reveal anything else about himself than he needed to at this point. He’d already shown his face and his “enhanced eyes”. He needn’t make his life more difficult. 

He had no idea who this guy even _was_.

“Are you certain?” 

“About as certain as I can be, I guess,” Peter admitted. “You can call me, uh, Ben, by the way,” Peter introduced. Might as well use his middle name here. 

“... Ed,” The man- now Ed- answered, coming up to the door and tapping on it. 

“Think there are guards?” Peter asked. 

“Probably. Can you fight?” 

“Uh, I beat up a mugger earlier today for stealing a purse,” Peter nervously answered.

Ed didn’t answer that, very suddenly lifting his foot and kicking the door so hard it flew off the hinges.

“.... Nice.” 

“I’m not here to rescue a child. Find your own way out.” 

“Whoa whoa wait, what _are_ you in here for? Were you kidnapped too?” 

Ed looked back at him as he started to exit the room. “My ‘kidnapping’ was intentional.” 

“Then what are you actually here for?” Peter asked him, one hand gripping his mask just a little tighter.

“..... Classified.” 

Peter had to try very, very hard to suppress his groan. “Okay, fine, whatever, just- just let me thank you? You’ve technically saved me,” Peter pointed out. “Anyway I can make it up to you?” 

“.... What are your abilities?” Ed asked. He almost sounded like some clinician. 

“... Strength, reflexes, enhanced senses, I uh… stick to things?” 

“... You stick to things.” 

Peter huffed for what must have been the dozenth time before jumping and attaching himself to the ceiling with just his hands, dangling. It looked a bit silly but it made his point, and he came back to the floor.

“... Like a gecko.” 

“... I’ll be honest I’ve never thought of that. I compare it more to a spider,” Peter admitted.

“... Sure.” Ed looked down the ominous hall. Peter couldn’t see or sense anything dangerous.

“Huh, where do you think-” 

“Sh.” 

They froze. Peter felt his senses go absolutely haywire and turned around, hearing footsteps.

“Someone’s coming.” 

“No shit. Ceiling, now.” 

Peter didn’t even respond, he just jumped up onto the ceiling, feet and hands putting him in a sitting position with his slightly askew hair hanging down.

The ‘someone’ was a heavily armed guard, running because apparently, there was _supposed_ to be a guard there. The guy didn’t get very far once he got there - Ed just punched him in the face so hard that Peter cringed. That was definitely a broken face. 

“... Did you kill him?” Peter cautiously asked, coming down from the ceiling.

“Doesn’t matter,” Ed answered. “But the way he came is the way I’m going.” 

“...Well that’s probably the way out so I’m coming too.” Peter hopped down, doing his best to not even look in the direction of the maybe-dead man. 

Ed looked back at him.

“Just stay out of my way.” 

“Wasn’t planning on getting _in_ your way, but sure.” 

Ed didn’t look very amused at Peter’s quip, and Peter avoided eye contact. 

The two took off running down the hall, Peter keeping up with Ed effortlessly - though he stayed respectfully behind him (“Respectfully” being code for “Ed can run into the trouble first”- which Ed knew, and didn’t really care much about). 

A few corners later, Ed stopped short, and Peter stopped behind him. 

“What? What is it?” Peter whispered.

“Shut up.” 

Well, that was unhelpful. Peter rolled his eyes as Ed looked around the corner. He waited… and waited… and waited, until suddenly Ed turned the corner and left the fourteen year old scrambling to follow. Before he got the chance, his spider sense caught that he was about to get hit, and he bent backward to avoid the incoming hit. The man covered in heavy tactical gear seemed almost startled, and Peter took his chance, recovering and pushing the man away with both of his hands, which sent the man flying, and then using his web shooters - aiming a web at the man’s chest, and pulling him back for a pretty solid kick to the gut. The man fell over unceremoniously, having had the wind knocked out of him, and Peter - panting slightly from the adrenaline - felt a surge of relief. 

Then he remembered Ed. 

Peter looked down the hall and saw what was easily over a dozen bodies strewn along the floor, and Ed standing - seeming to be catching his breath. Peter made his way over carefully. “Wow, uh, that’s a lot.” 

“Your strings.” 

“... What?” 

“Your wrists, what was that?” 

“Wait, you had time to see me-” 

“Answer me.” 

Peter stared at him incredulously. “They’re my web shooters. Spider, remember?” Peter lifted a wrist to show the shooters. “Made ‘em myself.” 

“Hm,” was all Ed said in response before turning his back to the boy and heading further down the hallway.

“You’re a pretty shit conversationalist, ya know that?” 

“Nope, had no idea.” Ed waved his hand back at him. “Hurry up. I’m not waiting for you. You’re responsible for yourself.” 

“Oh my god, you are ridiculous.” Peter quickly but carefully made his way around the bodies. “But uh, quick question… are these guys…” 

“Dead. Did you not kill the man you took down?”

“I-I don’t kill people!” 

Ed suddenly stopped, and then turned around. “... Are you telling me that you have super enhanced abilities and you have never killed someone?” 

“Never,” Peter answered, putting all of his conviction into that single word, following it up with “I have never killed someone and I _will_ never kill someone.” 

“... Keep telling yourself that,” Ed answered. “Now, keep up.” 

Peter didn’t get a chance to argue, following behind Ed as they found what looked like a control room. 

“My phone!” Peter announced as he grabbed the dinosaur. 

“... Is that a Nokia?” Ed asked. Peter was about to point out that it was just an iPhone 3, when he saw just a hint of a twinkle in Ed’s eye. Ed was… teasing? That was new. 

“Pff, I wish it was that durable,” Peter retorted. “Just an iPhone. I’m hopin’ to save up for the new Starkphone Omegas coming out in a couple months. The tech in those is next gen.” 

“The Omegas are the lower end line.” 

“Take a look at this outfit and tell me I can afford the StarkPhone Prime.” 

Ed did in fact look - partially because it was much better lit in the control room than in the halls or that room they’d been haphazardly tossed into. 

“You look like you can’t afford a walkie talkie,” Ed commented, his hands typing away at the keyboard as he spoke. The control panel let out a few beeps and clicks before he reached into the pocket of his thick Kevlar vest and took out what looked like a USB.

“And you have a USB. What is this, 2007?” Peter quipped. 

“Sure, kid, sure,” was Ed’s only response before he shut up again, and Peter was engrossed in checking to see if they did anything to his phone. It didn’t even look like it had been logged into ( as if they’d even guess his passcode _and_ get past the extra firewall that Ned had installed). They probably just took it off of him so he wouldn’t call for help - which was reassuring. He turned on his GPS, and sure enough, he was in the Bronx. He knew which subways to take - or, more accurately, sneak onto and then swing away from - to get home from here. Living in New York your whole life was certainly a help. 

He put his phone into the inner pocket of his sleeveless hoodie and zipped it up again, getting a look at Ed, who seemed to also be finishing up. 

Ed put the hard drive back in his vest and glanced over at Peter before standing up straight. “There’s more guards waiting towards the entrance.” 

“Uh, I’ll be real with you, I was just gonna try the air vents,” Peter explained. 

“Would you know which way is out?”

When Peter didn’t answer he finally heard something resembling a laugh come from Ed. 

“Just hurry up and follow, kid.” Ed headed out of the room, looking left and right before exiting. 

“You know, I gave you a name, ‘Ed’” 

“Yeah, I know,” he answered almost smugly. Peter just rolled his eyes again. He’d never been in a scenario like this before (and hoped he’d never be in one like it again) and wasn’t exactly sure what the protocol was - if any - for getting kidnapped with a stranger. 

“So are ya ever gonna use it?” 

“Not likely,” Ed answered. 

“Why?” 

“Cause it ain’t your real name, kid,” Ed explained. “I don’t really have much of a name so you callin’ me ‘Ed’ is nothing. But you clearly got a life of some kind.” 

“... That’s super cryptic and doesn’t make a whole lotta sense.” 

“You’ll understand when you’re older.” 

Peter put a hand through his hair and nearly let out whatever his equivalent to a growl was. If one more adult said that to him in the next two months he was seriously going to lose it. But regardless, he followed behind Ed.

As they got towards the entrance, Peter heard voices, quite a lot of them. At least a dozen men were up ahead and they were all talking - why the hell were they all talking? 

“Lot of guys up ahead,” he noted quietly. 

“Figured. Stay behind for a minute before comin’ in,” Ed warned, slowing his gait slightly. 

“Why?” 

“Because I’ll have taken out the bulk of them by then.” 

“You mean kill them!?” Peter tried to keep his voice down. 

“Kid, I’m not having a moral talk about murder with you. Take it or leave it.” 

Peter grit his teeth and sighed deeply, about to argue against him, but Ed had already gone ahead and around the corner on his own for the second time tonight. 

Peter mentally readied himself as he heard signs of a struggle, and finally put his mask back on before shaking his hands and checking his web shooters. 

He then turned the corner, just in time to see a man raise his gun to the back of Ed’s otherwise occupied form. 

His web caught it before the man could even contemplate pulling the trigger. 

Peter yanked the gun away before shooting another web at the man’s chest,pinning him to the nearby wall. He then turned his attention to the four or so guys still standing, the rest of the men strewn across the floor in a way that made Peter’s stomach churn. 

But he had to push it down. His eyes met another man dressed in tactical gear for whatever reason, and the fight was on. Peter’s spider sense made it easy to dodge, but his complete lack of experience in actual fights put him at a disadvantage. He only kept dodging, unsure of a good, proper opening to take the guy down. 

Then he spotted Ed out of the corner of his eye, struggling slightly with a man much larger than himself, and got an idea. 

It took a few more seconds of dodging before he grabbed at the man’s arm and yanked as hard as he could, flinging the man at a startling velocity towards the other one, causing a mangle of limbs as his human catapult hit its intended target. The thudding of the bodies was almost funny, as the two men just didn’t get up. Ed looked back at Peter with an equally hilarious “what the hell did you just do” expression. Peter just grinned back and shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. 

“Creative problem solving?” Peter offered as an explanation.

“Put that on your resume,” Ed responded. “Thanks.” 

“Oh, no problem!” Peter beamed with pride just slightly, following Ed out into the alleyway. 

He nearly wanted to lie down on the sidewalk and kiss it, but he was smart enough to just do a fist pump into the air. His first-ever kidnapping and he escaped! There was a sort of thrill to it. 

“We did it! Ed, are you -” He turned to where Ed had been, and there was nothing but the sound of a somehow still busy street at almost 3:30 AM. Peter looked around almost frantically, before letting out a sigh. 

He had to get home, that was priority right now. He had to get at least some sleep before going to Ned’s at 12. Well, maybe shower, too. 

He climbed up the building next to the warehouse, and took in a deep, welcomed breath of chilled air as he gazed out. He looked back briefly, maybe hoping to see his companion, before checking his web-shooters one more time, getting a running start, and jumping into the night. 

\-- 

The lab was dark, which in and of itself was unsettling. This lab was meant to always be brightly lit, almost eye-aching. It was how Tony liked it, most days. 

But then again. Tony wasn’t here. 

Vision stood stock-still, hands behind his back. 

“You are late.” 

“.. Caught up,” Ed replied, walking in from the elevator.

“Well, I hope you understand that you being ‘caught up’ does not help either of us.” 

“I got the information. That’s what matters.” 

Ever to the point, Vision assumed. The man didn’t look all that ragged. A little tired, yes, but not exactly put through the wringer.

“You understand the importance of your mission,” Vision pressed. 

“Yeah, I get it,” he huffed back. 

If his personality allowed exasperation, Vision assumed he’d be feeling it about now. 

“Not just to your … employers.” 

Ed stared sharply at him. “How about you just let me sleep, hm?” He tossed the USB at Vision, who caught it promptly. “Hail HYDRA.” 

“... Indeed,” Vision responded. “I will contact you when another mission is assigned.” 

And with that, Vision phased up through the floor. 

“... FRIDAY.” 

“Yes, Boss?” 

“Put the keywords “Spider” and “Webs” into Tony’s Searching Database.” 

There was a pause. “Done, Boss.” 

“Good. I’m going to sleep.” 

“Sleep well, Boss. You will be up at 7 AM for breakfast with Miss Potts.” 

“... I won’t,” Ed answered back, removing his mask and heading back towards the elevator. “Also, FRIDAY?” 

“Yes?” 

“Call me Ed.” 

“... Sure, Ed.” 

The elevator shut silently, Ed closing his eyes for a single, blessed moment of peace.


	2. Chapter 2

Broad daylight. An assassination in broad daylight. 

So pedestrian. 

It was an exceedingly simple mission, really. Almost too easy for his sensibilities. Russian diplomat Remus Pavio was getting too close to figuring out that his personal assistant was an informant, so naturally, the both of them needed to be “taken care of”. The compromised agent knew what he’d signed up for, and was - supposedly - ready to go. Whether or not he was actually aware that his death was coming sooner than he’d probably have hoped was irrelevant to the masked man. Just another compromised agent, dropping like a fly.

Seems their ilk was hanging by the weakest of threads these days. 

He’d set up on the flat top of an apartment building in Queens, his rifle aimed down to the busy streets below. The slight chill of the early evening kept him awake, alert. The noisy street below created a consistent sort of hum. If he’d been just a regular joe, he wouldn’t even be able to focus. But he really had no choice. 

They’d be turning the corner in 2 minutes. He had a 30 second window to shoot the both of them before they left this stretch of street. More than enough time, really. He could be lazy about it - or his version of lazy, anyway. 

Why was he always given such simple, clean-cut jobs anyway? There was no challenge, no threat to him. But perhaps that was for his own benefit.

His finger wasn’t on the trigger just yet, but his eye was looking sharply through the scope. Despite the ease of this mission - or, perhaps, because of it- he knew that he would not be forgiven for failure. He hadn’t failed yet, and he didn’t want to know the price for that transgression.

“1 minute, 38 seconds,” a robotic voice rung in his earpiece. His breath rattled in his chest slightly. Was it nerves? He didn’t care much to figure out the trembling in the center of his chest. It was just there. A bothersome thing that rendered him nearly compromised. 

_Nearly._

“55 seconds,” the voice echoed in his ear. His finger moved slowly, slowly to the trigger. 

“30 seconds.” 

He aimed the rifle.

“15 seconds.” 

_Breathe in_

A black car, two bodies in the back seat. Perhaps a little obvious, but nonetheless..

The silencer did its job. 

He finally breathed out as the scene before him unfolded, the panicked driver letting out a scream through the broken windows and slamming on the gas, headed right into the intersection, where a truck was stranded due to traffic. His eyes watched the scene, waiting for the cacophony to unfold

The resulting crash would have been something to behold…. had it actually happened.

As he stared down at the intersection, way down on the street below, a familiar blur of blue and red swung from the opposite side of the road, landing in front of the speeding black car, arms outstretched. The boy caught the car with his _bare hands_ \- the four-wheeled death trap coming to a complete stop at his chest just before hitting the traffic-stuck truck. 

From his vantage point, staring in what he could only think was awe, he watched the boy flick his wrist out, aiming his white “webs” and taking off, headed south beside the building where the sniper was stationed. 

He had a choice, theoretically. Leave and forget, or follow his insatiable curiosity. But there was no way he was going to do the former. Not doing the latter would prevent him from sleeping tonight anyway. 

He placed his gun back in its box - to be cleaned and destroyed later - and his eyes followed where he’d seen the boy last. He hadn’t gone far. He was lying down in an alley near his perch. He looked down, where a blue and red blob was lying far away from the alley entrance to not attract any attention.

As he climbed down, the red and blue blob became more distinct. The boy was lying down, his hands clenched at his chest. His breathing was heavy and loud, but he couldn’t tell if it was from adrenaline, pain, or both. He landed quietly on the ground and the kid’s head snapped in his direction. Oh yeah, super hearing. 

“.....Ed?”

The man raised a brow at him. “Hey there.” He leaned against the building, feeling the damp wall and the dank air of the alley. “Not the best hiding place,” he pointed out, motioning with his shoulder to the street. 

“Eheh… just needed to uh… catch my breath.” 

The kid’s hands were squarely at the center of his chest, though he didn’t seem to apply pressure. The child looked a little funny, curled up on the pavement like that. But the slight trembling caused Ed to narrow his eyes 

“Did you hurt yourself stopping that car?” 

“Heh, you saw that?” the boy answered sheepishly through his heavy breathing and mask. The older man noticed the lack of a direct answer. “It was kinda awesome.” 

“Also looked like it hurt like shit,” he pointed out.

“Oh uh, yeah,” Peter awkwardly chuckled. “I uh, think I cracked something?” 

Ed crossed his arms; he figured the vein in his forehead was showing - damn kid. 

“Cracked? Or broken?” 

“Uhh… hard to tell, honestly,” Peter admitted. “Everything heals so fast I uh, don’t really get to know if it’s a break or not,” he explained, started to sit up. “It’s uh, good to see you,” he announced as he slowly pushed his way up with one arm - the other taking his weight with almost no effort.

Ed raised his eyebrow. “Really?” His tone wasn’t curious.

“Heh, ow, uh, really,” he answered. “I thought I’d never see you again.” 

“I wasn’t intent on seeing you again,” he honestly answered. 

“Well, regardless… nice to see you,” the boy reiterated. 

Ed huffed, glad that the kid couldn’t see his smile - he didn’t need to get the kid’s hopes up like that. “It’s nice to know your dumb-ass hasn’t killed yourself yet.” 

Peter laughed almost giddily, finally laying his back against the alley wall, his head lolling a bit. 

“Kid, I’ll cut to the chase.” He stood up straight, getting off the wall, but not approaching the boy. “Why the hell did you do that?” Ed questioned. “You could have killed yourself. That crash wasn’t exactly your problem.” 

Peters paused for a moment. “.. I mean, it’s in my neighborhood,” he reasoned, tilting his head slightly. “Who else was going to help?” 

“Not you?” Ed answered. “You’re a kid.” 

Peter huffed a bit - Ed could imagine his frown. “And that means, what, exactly? That I’m just some kid that can’t do anything? I _can_ do things. Things no one else can do,” he pressed. 

“..And?” Ed stared back, unimpressed. 

“Well… I mean… when you do the things that I can… and _then_ the bad things happen… they happen because of you. Because you didn’t bother to try to stop it.” 

There was a moment of silence as the words sunk in. 

“.. Wow that sounded lame,” Peter lamented, thudding his head against the brick.

“.. Nah kid, I get it,” the older man almost-comforted. Peter lifted his head again.

“Heh, really?” 

“It’s the kind of thing I can imagine being inspired by quite the backstory,” Ed reasoned. 

“Sorry Ed…. you gotta be a level 9 friend before you get my tragic backstory.” Peter leaned back against the alley wall again, a hand still on his chest, with the boy trying to take a deep breath.

“Only level nine? Where am I?” 

“Hm….. level 1, but really close to level 2,” Peter mused.

“Wow, I’m leveling up.” Ed tried to keep the amusement out of his voice, and judging by Peter’s cheeky grin - that he could tell the boy was sporting despite the mask - he failed.

“Takes time and effort,” Peter explained.

“Well good thing I don’t have either of those things.” 

Peter managed a chuckle. “Not sticking around?” 

“... Can you stand?” Ed asked. 

Peter took in a deep breath before pulling himself up, staggering slightly on his feet. Ed felt an urge to reach over and grab the boy to help him up, but pushed it down. No need to actually touch him. That might lead to...further attachment.

Peter managed to get himself to his feet and gave the man a thumbs up.

“Can you _stay_ up?” Ed asked

“You act like this is the first time I’ve done this.” Peter shrugged a bit. “I’ll be fine.” 

Ed sniffed. “Forgive me if I don’t have the utmost confidence.” 

“You wound me, Ed,” Peter whined, leaning against the alley wall once more. 

Ed thought that perhaps he should continue the banter. It was nice to talk to someone that kept up with him, for once. But then, a voice reached his ear. 

“Your presence is required.” 

He sighed. 

“Alright kid, you can make it home?” 

Peter stopped pulling his mask over his face for a moment. “Uh, yeah?” 

Ed resisted the urge to snort in amusement. 

“Alright then. Hopefully I won’t see you again. Third time’s the curse.” He shrugged

“... I’m pretty sure the saying is “third time’s the charm” but sure, whatever makes you feel better.” He could tell the boy’s feelings weren’t actually hurt by his jab. 

Ed just rolled his eyes, and disappeared around the corner, once again leaving Peter alone. 

The boy sighed, quickly recalling that he needed to reorient himself before heading home - and hoping, fleetingly, that maybe he’d see his new friend again some time soon. 

He doubted it though, he wasn’t that lucky. 

\-- 

The tower was dark again. 

He was starting to prefer it like that.. when he was like this, anyway.

He stood in the lab quietly, nothing more than the hum of idle but never turned off machinery to accompany his muted breathing. Despite the “off” status of the lab, he knew everything that mattered was still on - as if it was alive, but asleep. If he called out, FRIDAY would still reply. So he stayed silent, mind wandering for a moment before focusing in on a single point. 

The damned spider kid. He was taking up quite a bit of his brain space. 

Something about what the kid said was… almost profound, really. 

“When you do the things that I can… and _then_ the bad things happen… they happen because of you. Because you didn’t bother to try to stop it.”

He tapped his fingers on his bicep, looking at the laboratory he was standing in as his mind churned. He wondered what the kid would do if he had these kinds of resources. This tech, this money. The kid had… potential, he realized. Lots and lots of potential. 

Maybe he can lend a… hand? _Maybe._

But that sort of wishful thinking would have to wait. He had to report to his superior once more, and he could hear the hum of the elevator stopping at the lab floor. 

The elevator dinged, and Vision stepped out. 

“You can literally phase through matter,” Ed pointed out.

“You know that I can have a flair for dramatics if it strikes my fancy,” the android answered, something approaching amusement in his tone.

“Strikes your fancy? Cause you have fancies to strike now, I see,” Ed commented. 

“Indeed I do,” he responded back, before standing before him with his hands behind his back. “Now… Report, Soldier. Recording begins now.” 

Ed took a breath. “Target taken out. Minimal damage caused due to unknown outside force. Believed to be police or government affiliated. Unknown force could not have known that I was there and it is advised that they are not pursued - if there is any government affiliation whatever heroes are conscripted might get involved. All weapons used have been cleaned and destroyed. I was not followed.” 

Vision raised a brow, waiting a moment before his eyes flashed. “Mhm. Satisfactory. You are free to rest.” 

“As if I ever.” 

Vision would have scoffed, if he knew that to be a possibility. “Good evening, then,” he replied.

And with that abrupt end, Vision left Ed alone in the dark lab. Ed took to leaning against a table, crossing his arms and shutting his eyes. There was perhaps a little too much on his mind, which in and of itself was a notable feat - too much was not a thing for him, really. 

But rest would come, regardless. 

Before he could let himself relax though…

“Friday.”

“Yes, Ed?” the monotone voice spoke.

“Pull up cameras from the intersection on Parmatta and Rabble Row in Queens. Copy all video from 5:45 to 6 pm. Flag it for Tony. Say you found it during your search for enhanced peoples.”

“Done, sir.”

“Don’t call me sir,” he commented.

“You’re very dedicated to this new name, Ed.”

“Eh, it’s grown on me.” 

“Understood, Ed,” FRIDAY continued. “Rest well.” 

The man sighed deeply. “I’ll certainly try.” 

He exited, opting to take the stairs upstairs. “Start program HY094.” 

“HY094 commencing…” 

Another, slightly more familiar voice filled the air as he climbed the steps.

_“Zhelaniye_

_Tusklyy_

_Sem’desyat_

_Smerkat’sya_

_Kovat’_

_Nezhnyy_

_Otdalennyy_

_Fevral’_

_Serdtse_

_Lyerikhon.”_

He breathed out, all anxiousness and tense exhaustion leaving his body.

“Sleep well, Boss.” 

He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Done dancing?” he asked. God, he couldn’t help the smirk and was thankful the kid couldn’t see it. 
> 
> His announcement caused Peter to leap - not jump, _leap_ \- and attach himself to the brownstone wall before he could even finish buttoning his jeans. His head whipped over to look at Ed, and the lenses on his new mask widened from the almost-threatening slits they’d been at just seconds before. There was only half a beat before the boy spoke. 
> 
> “Oh, Ed, hi!”

Patrol had been relatively mundane that day - compared to everything else going on, anyway. How could it not? I mean, DC was just barely behind Peter, and with May watching him like a hawk when he was home, patrol was his only escape after school. 

It wasn’t all bad though. He’d stopped a few petty thefts, helped a cat out of a tree (it had purred when he held them! Best moment of the day by far), and even stopped a car jacking! A real one this time, not like last time where he’d accidentally attacked some poor guy who’d gotten locked out of his car. Though it was mundane, he’d definitely call it a good day. 

He found his way back to the alley where his backpack was hidden - grateful that this time it hadn’t been stolen - and didn’t even think twice before he tapped the spider insignia on his chest, the outfit essentially deflating. He knew that his spider sense (that’s what he’d dubbed it, anyway) would alert him of any potential threats. He kept his mask on for safety concerns as he shimmied his arms out of the sleeves and then reached into his backpack for his civilian clothes. The webbing holding up his backpack was just barely hanging on at that point, and he just ripped it off of the brick wall without any concern. It’d be completely disintegrated before he got home, so no worry there. Hell, he found that in that moment, just thinking about when he got home to look over some stuff with Karen regarding the mystery men on his DC trip, he didn’t have a care in his head. 

Perhaps if he looked slightly left, he’d notice the man, dressed in black with a hood over his head, staring at him incredulously. 

Safe to say Ed was both annoyed and amused at running into the friendly neighborhood hero. It’s not like he had any say on where he went - but he always hoped he’d be anywhere but queens. Lo and behold, however, there was a corporate building in Queens with information that his handlers needed. They’d almost sounded desperate on the com line - which left Ed with a feeling at the center of his chest that he shoved off. No need for that sort of thing. Nothing, nothing at all. 

He’d barely been “undercover” (still wearing his mask) for an hour, very slowly making his way to his destination in broad daylight before taking a brief moment in the alley, and seeing Spider-Man land in his hiding place. 

Ed waited until Peter - bouncing around like a goofball to get his jeans on - was done with at least the pants before speaking up. 

“Done dancing?” he asked. God, he couldn’t help the smirk and was thankful the kid couldn’t see it. 

His announcement caused Peter to leap - not jump, _leap_ \- and attach himself to the brownstone wall before he could even finish buttoning his jeans. His head whipped over to look at Ed, and the lenses on his new mask widened from the almost-threatening slits they’d been at just seconds before. There was only half a beat before the boy spoke. 

“Oh, Ed, hi!” 

God, would the kid always sound so happy to see him?

“Hi there,” he greeted back, hands in the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt. “Finishing up a day of crime fighting in your fancy new leotard?” 

“Oh, it’s a new suit! Do you like it? Tony Stark made it for me. * _The_ Tony Stark!” The boy practically glowed as he said that last sentence - as if Ed wouldn’t know who he was referring to -, grabbing his shirt and putting it back on. Ed could see the already-healing bruises on the boy. 

“Impressive,” he indulged the child’s praise. “The pajamas not doing it for ya?” 

“Well, I mean, this is just - he made it for me and I didn’t even know? It was so cool - ” 

As the kid continued to ramble and rave, Ed found himself wondering why he even started the dialog. He could have just… left. Just continued with his mission. The building he was scoping out was just a block down. He should have just left, really. But there he was, chatting away - or rather, listening half-intently, to the young hero.

“- And then I went to Germany and Captain America dropped a loading dock on me but it was -” 

“Wait, wait wait, wait wait.” Ed held a hand up, managing the miracle of stopping the kids talking. “You had a loading dock dropped on you?” 

“..well, yeah,” Peter responded, his voice even and pretty casual, a shrug coming from his shoulders. He’d just gotten his shirt on at that point. 

A small but not insignificant part of Ed wanted to smack the kid upside the head, but a bigger and really significant part knew that was a horrible idea. Never hit a kid. Ever. Instead, he just took a deep breath. 

“... You’re pretty chill about it,” he managed

“Eh, I caught it and didn’t hurt myself. There’s no use worrying about it now,” the boy reasoned, adjusting his jacket and fiddling about with his bag. He was all changed back, save for his cowl. Precaution, Ed assumed. A smart instinct to have. 

“What are you doing around here, anyway?” Peter asked, head tilted. “More secret stuff?” 

“If I told you I’d have to kill you,” Ed responded, his tone even as ever. That lack of any sort of lightheartedness caused Peter to pause while putting on his backpack, the lenses of his mask widening in surprise at the statement. 

“I … can’t tell if you’re joking,” he admitted sheepishly.

Ed just shrugged - once more glad the kid couldn’t see the smirk he was hiding, and the conversation petered off. 

In the relative quiet of the alley way, Peter’s enhanced hearing picked up on all of the little noises around him. The city life just out of view, the nearby cars idling at the stop light, and, perhaps most notably, Ed’s heartbeat. Which still beat just as oddly as it did the last two times they’d met. A strange subdued noise that almost seemed to hum. Like there was a soft whirring along with the regular heart pumping blood through his veins. As Ed turned his back to face the street, Peter narrowed his eyes. 

The heartbeat, that off-beat, whirring ‘ba-thump’.

He’d definitely heard it before. 

“Don’t get yourself killed, kid,” Ed voiced, causing Peter’s focus to break.

“Oh uh… okay! … I mean, I don’t plan on it,” Peter responded, his voice slightly cracking.

Ed continued to stare at him, and - though he could not see much of the other man’s face - Peter hoped that he’d managed to get a smile from the man.

He found himself pondering what Ed’s smile looked like with a slight tilt of his head. He’d never seen Ed’s full face before… then again, Ed hadn’t seen his either - right? It was only fair, he supposed. The silence between the two continued to stretch between them, before Peter cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders. 

“See you around?” Peter offered as a goodbye - with a wave, for good measure. 

“Hope not,” Ed answered as deadpan as ever. 

Peter rolled his eyes, and Ed disappeared around the corner, into the crowd of early rush hour Queens. He waited a few minutes after the man left, double-checking everything he had on his person. Once he was certain he was alone and that he had everything, he took off his mask. He looked at it for a few seconds, taking a deep breath. 

“Okay, get home, talk to Karen, get this stuff going,” he recited to himself. He had a lot to do - as always.

He took in a breath and grinned to himself, slipping on his shoes as he hopped over to the exit of the alley and back into the bustle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty Short Chapter, but the next one is where the plot actually starts. Thank you for your patience!

**Author's Note:**

> Got questions? comments? Just wanna bug me? Follow me on Tumblr over at Doodleimprovement!   
> ((I'm also on twitter at wiltingdaisy94))
> 
> Also you should follow my beta reader: littlescarletstar!


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